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BIGYCLE- v ,959. Patented July 5, 1881.-

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No. 243,959. Patente July 5,,1881.

Wzeww,

UNITED STATEs PATENT OFFICE,

EDOUARD C. F. OTTO, OF PEGKHAM, COUNTY OF SURREY, ENGLAND.

f BICYCLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 243,959, dated July 5,1881. Application filed June 10, 1880. (ModcL) Patented in England March31, 1879.

To all whom fit may ooncern Be it known that I, EDOUARD CARL FRIED- RICHOTTO, of Peckham, in the county of Surrey, England, have invented newand useful Improvements in Bicycles, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention has for its object improvements in that class of bicycleswherein the rider is seated between two wheels placed one at each end ofan axle.

Such improvements relate, first, to an improved arrangement of theseat,whereby smaller wheels may be employed and the entire vehicle madelighter and easier to ride; second, to an improved arrangement ofsteering-gear, whereby the driving-wheels are more easily converted intosteering-wheels, and vice versa; third, to an improved treadlearrangement, whereby the rider can easily maintain his equilibrium onthe roughest roads; fourth,`to an improved arrangementfor applyin g thebrakes.

I will now, with the aid of the accompanying drawings, wherein similarletters of reference indicate corresponding parts, proceed toparticularly describe my said invention.

ln the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved bicycle.Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a plan'view. Fig. 4 is asection on line A B, Fig. 3. Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are detail views of thesliding bearings for the propelling crank-shaft.

To carry out my improvements I employ either a straight, rectangular, orcurvilinear axle, g g', provided with suitable wheels, a, havingindia-rubber tires b. Either at or above the horizontal, and somewhat inrearof the vertical, center lines of such wheels I place an adjustableseat, jj', which may be raised or lowered by a bolt and nuts,j5, whileto prevent jolting suitable springs, jzjj, are conveniently placedbeneath the seat.v The seat is in this instance mounted on one end of aC-spring, (one or more,) the other end of which is adjustably secured alittle above the axle by the bolt and nutsj, as shown. Pivoted to theupper end of this spring is a screw-threaded rod, the lower end ofwhich, after passing through a hole in the lower end of said spring, isprovided with a nut. By screwing this nut up on the rod the front sideof the seat will be depressed, and by unscrewing said nut the front sideof the seat will be carried upward by the action of its spring. Thefront side of the seat may be supported by a spiral sprin g, j4,encirclingthisscrewed rod. By theabove-described means the seat can beadjusted to any desired inclination. Duplicate Springs, placed side byside, may be employed, if necessary.

By arranging' the seat in the rear of the vertical and at about thehorizontal center of the wheels not only can lighter and smaller wheelsbe used and the entire machine rendered lighter, but the riderfsequilibrium is readily maintained, owing to sut'fioient weight beingdisplaced toward the rear to counteract the weight requisite in front ontreadles q to propel the bicycle.

To further assist the rider to maintain his balance, trea-dle-straps q'are fastened to the treadles, wherewith he can raise the crankshaft andits connections, so as to enable him to pass more easily and safely overobstructions while applying a continuous rotary motion tothe treadles.Such treadle-straps greatly assist the rider in applyin g the brakes, ashe can, by raising the crank-shaft, counteract the tendency of thebicycle to throw him forward when the bralres are applied. These strapsare so arranged that the rider can withdraw his feet therefrom withperfect case.

Secured to the wheels in any convenient manner and position are pulleysc, which are driven by belts ZZ.

Firmly secured to the axle, and forming in connection therewith abifurcated frame, are rods k, preferably of the form shown, one neareach Wheel.

At the lower ends of the rods k, and adapted to slide up' and downthereon, are boxes r, in which the respective ends of the crank-shaft tare journaled. The ends of the crank-shaft t project sufficiently beyondthe boxes r to receive the driving-pulleys 12, which are keyed orotherwise firmly secured thereon, and transmit motion to driven pulleysc by means of belts 12, heretofore mentioned. Spiral springs o cncirclethe lower ends of rods k, the lower ends of said springs abuttingagainst the boxes a' an d their upper ends against sleeves n, which areadjustably secured ou rods lc by means of IOO set-screws m3. Thepressure of these springs on sliding boxes r keep belts ZZ at the properl tautness. Owin g to the belts 72 connecting driving-pulleys p withdriven pulleys o, the rider is prevented from swaying to and fro, andthus materially assisted in maintaining a steady equilibrium, as when hehas fixed himself in position the motion of the treadles, which in theabsence of the belts would cause a swayin g of the bifurcated frame, iscounteractcd by said belts, which, transmitting motion to the wheels,propel the Vehicle, and the swaying motion of the rider is thusconverted into the backward or forward travel of the bicycle.

To further illustrate the balancing-power of the machine, let us assumethat the rider has placed too much weight on theforward treadle, thuslosin g his balance. He has then only to lift the hinder treadle withhis foot, when he at once transfers the rcquisite weight to the seat andre-establishes his equilibrium. Moreover, in order, when going uphill,to overcome the inclination of the crank-shaft to rise (induced by theincreased resistance to forward traveh) the rider, by assuming a moreupright position, can place sufficientweight thereon to keep it at aproper level, while by leanin g backward when going downhill(sufficiently, if necessary, to depress the supplementary brake or dragpresently described) he can at once counteraot any tendency to fallforward.

The sliding boxes r are provided with holes u, lu, and w, for thereception of the crank-shaft, rod k, and steering-rods 762,respectively. The holes v are slightly ovaled at the ends to admit ofrockin g on rod 7c when the opposite box and end of the crank-shaft areraised in steering the machine. To these boxes r are attachedsteering-rods 702, formed in two sections, which are connected bytubular nuts 7c', provided with right and left screw-threads, so that byturning said nuts one way or the other said steering-rods can belengthened or shortened. The upper tapered ends of these nuts 7o' aresplit and threaded externally to receive look-nuts 7c4, which preventthem from turnin g accidentally. These rods 7c2 are at their npper endspvoted to the hubs of steering-levers e, which levers are monnted tooscillate on axles g at points in line with the axial center of thedrive-wheels a. By drawing these levers backward the steerin g-rods 702connected therewith will operate to lift the sliding boxes r, and withthem the crank-shaft t and drivingpulleys p, thus slackening the beltsZZ. Upon releasing the levers e, they, together with the crank-shaft andits connections, will be caused to again resume their normal positionsby the action of springs 0 on sliding boXes r.

Suitable brakes, 7, firmly attached to slidin g bralce-blocks 73, areplaced under the driven pulleys c. These brake-blocks 73 are monnted toslide on rods 70, and are connected by wires s to disks d, monnted onthe axles g in close proximity to steering-levers e, by which they areoperated, and are also connected by wires s' to brake-levers f, whichlatter are placed in any convenient position, and held therein bySprings f' acting on shoulders f 2.

Handles are fitted loosely on'the levers c, and are provided near theirlower ends with short arms, which, when the handles are twist-ed in theproper direction, engage and force backward pins projecting upward fromdisks d, to which the wires s are attached, and draw brakes l up againstdriven pulleys c.

To change the direction of the machine, one of the steering levers isdrawn backward, which movement slackens the belt 72 on that side of themachine through the agency of steering-rod k2 and box r, and at the sametime applies the brake with more or less force through the agency ofdisk d and wire s. The belt ZZ on the opposite side of the machine being kept taut mean while, it will be readily seen that the direction ofthe machine will be changed at once, because at one side thepropelling-power is still continued, while on the other side, the beltbeing slackened, the propelling-power is suspended and the brake isapplied with more or less force. In this manner the wheels a are made toserve both as driving and steering wheels.

Should it be found that the steering-lever does not apply the brake withsufficient force, the brake-lever f can be operated in connectiontherewith.

Owing to the brakes being monnted on the bifurcated frame of themachine, there is a tendency, when the brakes are applied, for saidbifurcated frameto he carried round with the wheels,which action wouldresultin throwing the rider forward. This tendency is counteracted insome measure by the position and operation of the brake-levers f. Theselevers require to be drawn u pward by the rider, whose entire weight canbe thus thrown on the seat, or, in other words, to the rear of thepivotal center of the bifurcated frame.

Should the brake l be found insufficient to check the machine whendescending steep grades, the rider is enabled, by leaning backwardsufliciently, to bring a supplementary brake or drag in contact with theground. This supplementary brake or drag consists of aback-stay, 71,,secured to the axle beneath the seat, said back-stay projecting to therear and downward, and being provided at its end with a small wheel orroller, 71.2, which normally is some little distance above the ground.Aluggage-support, h', may be secured rto the backstay, as shown.

Springs s2 and s3 are interposed between the lu g of brake-block L3 andthe securing-nuts of brake-wires s and s', so that the brakes areapplied with a cushioning action.

Springs 85, monnted on rods 7o above the brake-blocks, serve to keep thebrakes normally free from contact with pulleys c. Guides m', secured inlugs m on sleeves n, are ,used to keep the driving-belts in properposition when slackened.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is- 1. In abicycle of the character described, the seatarranged at or about thehorizontal IOC IIO

and in rear of the Vertical center of the wheels, substantially asbefore set forth.

2. The eornbination, substantially as before set forth, of the seat, thesupporting-spring thereof, and the bolt and nnts for adjusting the seatvertioally.

3. The oolnbination, substantially as before set forth, of the seat, thesnpporting-spring thereof, and the bolt and nut for ehanging theinclination of the seat.

4. The seetional steering-rods, substantially as before set forth,adapted to be len gthened or shortened. f

5. The combination, substantially as before set forth, of thebrake-biock and the two reverse1y-aeting levers adapted to apply thebrake separately or conjointly.

6. The combination, substantially as before set forth, of the rods forapplying the brakes, the brake-bloeks, and the Springs.

7. The oombination, substantially as before set forth, of the rods k,the brake-bloeks mounted to slide thereon, and the Springs for keepingthe brake-blocks normally in their lowermost positions.

8. The combination, snbstantially as before set forth, of thedriving-pulleys, the driven pulleys, the belts, means for slaokening thebelts, and the guides.

9. The combination, substantially as before set forth, of the rods k,the sleeves adjustably secured thereon, the boxes monnted to slide onsaid rods below the sleeves, the Springs interposed between the slidingboxes and the sleeves, and the belts.

10. The combination, substantially as before set forth, of theorank-shaft mounted to turn in sliding boxes, and means for adjustingsaid erank-shaft with relation to the seat.

4 EDOUARD CARL FRIEDRICH OTTO.

Witnesses:

SHIRLEY BOWDEN, Patent Solz'citm', 33 Sonthnmpton Bdgs., London England.v GEO. HY. PRIEsT, Clark to the said Shirley Bowen.

